The present invention relates generally to the field of shipping and storage devices for blooming flowers, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a device for protecting a flower bloom during shipping and storage.
The present invention provides a bloom support device for protecting the bloom of a cut flower during shipment and storage. The bloom support device has a concave body, substantially closed at a proximal end and forming an open distal end for receiving engagement of the bloom. An aperture is provided at the proximal end through which a stem portion of the flower is disposed as the concave body is moved along the stem toward the bloom in operatively placing the bloom support device about the bloom. In the operative position the concave body encapsulates the bloom, providing a compressive support to the bloom""s delicate petals which are urged into a folded arrangement. A stress-intensification member is provided in the concave body to facilitate a tearing away of the bloom support device from the bloom in such a manner that in response to an applied tearing force, the stress-intensification member imparts a tearing of the concave body along a tear line extending between the distal end of the concave body with the aperture of the proximal end of the concave body. The stress intensification member can be a notch formed in the concave body extending a distance from the distal end and having an apex directed toward the aperture in the proximal end. A plurality of notches so arranged can be provided at the distal end of the concave body to facilitate the presentation of a notch to an operator. The stress-intensification member can also be a plurality of perforations defining such a tear-line.
The stress intensification member permits an effective tearing action from a vantage point most likely to be used by an employee who is unpackaging a batch of flowers. Namely, it is most likely that one unpackaging the flowers will tear the bloom support device from the outermost extremity, that is, from the more accessible distal end, because the operator is typically motivated to unpackage the flowers quickly. The stress intensification member provides the ability to tear away the bloom support device so as to unpackage the flowers in a minimal amount of time while preventing damage to the flower bloom and stem. These and other advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the drawings and appended claims.